The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-21
NATURAL GAS.


the domestic use of its citizens, depends upon
the City Council and Board of Aldermen.
In the city columns of this mornings Jour
nal will be found an interview with Mr..
Allen NJ. Fletcher, president of the Ipdian-
apolis Natural-gas Company. This company
is composed almost entirely of Indianapolis
people-manufacturers, merchants and prop
erty owners 1t practically owns controls,
by lease, the natural-g gas producing territory
available for this city. This company, or its
founders. was the first to commence the de-
velopment of the gas region about the city, and
it has expended quite an amount of money in
finding gas, and like other companies, has
found many places where gas was not. The
condition precedent to going to work, is in
the nature of a proposal that the company
will undertake to pipe gas into the city, and
for the performance of its part of the agree
ment will give bond and ample security.
The city having already passed ordinance
on this subject, the company asks certain
notifications. The rate to manufacturers in
the existing ordinance and the proposed one
the same. The company asks that the
tax of three cents per foot for pipes laid in
the city be taken off; that the rate to private
consumers, other than manufacturers shall
be Is cents per thousand feet, instead of ten
as under the existing ordinance, and as
against 20 cents demanded in what was known
also asks the exclusive right to the streets
which they may have piped for determinate
period, say of five years.
These are the material changes asked.
Should they be made, the company agrees to
bring gas into the city by the LIST of January,
and supply between now and spring twenty
five miles of the streets with the gas to all
consumers thereon desiring it, and to continue
piping the streets of the city, of which there
are over 800 miles. as fast as the work can be
done, manufacturers to have the prefer
ence in the supply of gas wherever practicable.
AS stated, the rate prescribed by the exist
ing ordinance is 10 cents per thousand feet,
practically the same the rate at Pittsburg,
pounds at the wells. AT the wells to supply
indianapolis the pressure is from 325 to $50
pounds, and the company asks Is cents per
thousand feet, while at Buffalo, Youngstown
ard Toledo, under like pressure at the wells
20 cents per thousand feet is charged. The
rate proposed by the Indianapolis company
gives the manufacturers all that the present
ordinance gives, and to the private consumers
a better rate than cities like Toledo, Youngs-
town and Buffalo, situated similarly to this
city in the matter of gas supply.
The great question to the people of Indian
apolis is that Of time. If the City Council
will promptly accept the terms of the pro-
posed ordinance. gas is assured by the LIST of
January. If the Council refuses, then Indi-
annapolis will not get gas for year, and posi-
bly, never. Only about forty days. at most,
can be counted as safe against frost this year,
after which work cannot be begun until April
of next year, so that if the city is to have gas
in 6 year there is no time to lose.
Gas by town meeting was failure; gas by
resolution was failure, and gas by the pres
ent ordinance is and will continue to be a
failure. That ordinance is now several months
DID, and there has not been, is not now, and
never will be a legitimate, bona fide company
or organization that will pipe gas into the city
under its provisions. Whether it was in
tended to prevent the introdu ction and use of
natural gas in indianapolis or not the effect
is the same. 1t is a prohibitory law, and
every one who is not controlled by prejudice,
ignorance or interest knows this to be true.
There may be some innocent souls now in
the corporate limits of Indianapolis, who think
that men and companies with unlimited cap
ital can find other use for their money than
are just on the eve of turning it on. IL any
such men or companies are in the neighbor-
hood, the general public have failed to find
them. The people burn coal, coke and wood
for heating purposes, yet the city has not fixed
a price per ton or cord at which they should be
sold, simply because the supply and demand
would regulate the price. But the City Coun-
ell has fixed prohibitory rate natural gas,
the direct and almost only article that COM
petes with wood and coal as heating measures.
It might be said cities fix the price
of illuminating gas and of water.
That is true; but it be definitely
determined what the cost of illuminating gas
is, and how much it will cost to bring water
into city. If the fountain Of natural gas
was in sight, its capacity and duration fixed.
the argument might apply. but the conditions
are altogether different. No one knows when |
the supply of natural gas will give out. The
city might as we'll fix a price on potatoes or
corn. Yet even the proposed modified ordi
nance fixes price on natural gas less than |
the same heating capacity from coal costs
naara- fba ynipas than IL tha citv NeiObhar.